[Round 13] Spa-Francorchamps

[V12-Power]

Did you also here, that there are plans (probably because Bernie Ecclestone wants it), to shorten the Spa-Francorchamps circuit? It was written, that the corners after Pouhon shall be kicked and instead of this there shall be a direct connection between Pouhon and the straigt ofter Blanchimont (I hope you understand what I mean).

Further the text said that the land that would get free, could be selled then (don't know if that's only speculation), but if it would be selled the corners on it would be "killed" for sure (like the old Hockenheimring ).

I wonder what other racing series like the FIA-GT (who drive there 24 hour race there) would say about that and what the track owners say.

I good solution would be, to make 2 versions of the track, but keep the corners for other (better) racing series than F1.

[TdK]

Did you also here, that there are plans (probably because Bernie Ecclestone wants it), to shorten the Spa-Francorchamps circuit? It was written, that the corners after Pouhon shall be kicked and instead of this there shall be a direct connection between Pouhon and the straigt ofter Blanchimont (I hope you understand what I mean).

I've heared it to. But it where no final plans. They just talked about it some years ago...

But i certainly hope they will not shorten Spa!! Or else we will get the same rubbish
like Hockenheimring with Dr. evil H.Tilke!

[DJS]

You can say what you want about Tilke, but you'll have to admit that Istanbul is a great track. =D>
And that the Mercedes Arena at the Nurburgring also a good addition to the track is.

[TdK]

You can say what you want about Tilke, but you'll have to admit that Istanbul is a great track. =D>
And that the Mercedes Arena at the Nurburgring also a good addition to the track is.

That's true. But changes he made to Hockenheim... ... Or i justed liked the old layout to much, maybe that's why i "hate" Tilke a bit...

[Greyhead]

I've not heard anything about this. Surely enough is enough, Hockenheim was butchered, ridding F1 of a unique challenge, Suzuka was dumped, and now they want to change Spa? Ridiculous.

[MaxX]

I didn´t hear about that, but I surely hope they don`t do that! Spa is a real classic and should stay that way. tbh I don`t like the actual shedules very much, I just miss tracks like Estoril, Imola, (Old) Hockenheim, Suzuka, A1 Ring, etc.

The turkey and Valencia tracks are great, ok, but I can`t offer my friendship to tracks like Bahrain or China.

----

The race in Spa should definitaly bring a decission for Ferrari`s #1 in the title race now, but more likely it will be a race if Kimi has to support Felipe or not

[V12-Power]

Good to read, that this discussion is, as it seems, not really up-to-date. But when I read the article I was referring to, I was a bit shocked and annoyed.

-

Raikkönen made already a mistake I read.. Somehow he is not able to use his potential at the moment. Maybe the car was developed a bit more in Massa's direction (what can absolutely make the difference, e.g. BMW). Right now Massa seems to be the strongest of the title-aspirants to me, but it will be exiting to see if he can stand the pressure till the end, as he was never in the title fight before. Hamilton and Räikkönen have already made their experience with it.

For the race I hope for some rain, as always...

BTW: I searched for the shortest road connection between Spa and the Nürburgring. It's 88km, air-line distance propably 60-70km...

[HF]

Due to the problems I was punished to make a backup which doen't include all the 5 comments we made about the race so far Now I'll start the new session

This race was.... fantastic. i wasn't able to sit stock-still the last 5 minutes - like the German commentator Danner
Räikkönen's chance of getting world-champion just reached 0%. The poor boy. but now we'll have a clear situation at ferrari. Massa HAS to win and Räikkönen HAS to help him. (Teamorder is forbidden but who cars at Ferrari?!?)

The pity was there for Bourdais and vettel. the both had a wonderful race but had bad luck. When there was one lap to go Bourdais was on P3, he ended on P7 And Vettel got caught by Alonso in the last 7 meters of the race But they both did a brilliant job!

Do you think Heidfeld's cockpit is now safer with his P3?

[MaxX]

That race was truly nice

Kovallainen did some great overtakeing in the beginning (except for the maneuver against Webber) and Raikkonnen had a great pace.

The Toro Rossos had a real great race and are much faster than the "mother team" at the moment. Bourdais on the podium would have been great but they had bad luck with the weather at the end.

Raikkonnen put himself out of the title race, he was fighting and lost the car. Such things can happen, but at that point of the season it really hurts.

I just read that Hamilton has been penalized for his maneuver against Raikkonnen...Truly a very hard decission....but ok, if he didn`t cut the chicane he would have been in another position at that moment. Even when he let Raikkonen repass, he was slightly in advantage. Surely he will do it another way, if such a situation would come again. He was much faster than Raikkonen at this point, I doubt he wouldn`t have gotten through on another point of the circuit...But from 1st to 3rd is to heavy...maybe droping 5 places down at the next race would have been more adequate....

Congratulations to Heidfeld, going on Intermediates was the best choice, if the race would have last one more lap, I`m sure he would have taken the victory. Great tactical move!

[Greyhead]

Jesus, I've just read about Hamilton's penalty, what a load of cobblers. How could the stewards possibly have come to that conclusion? I don't understand that one at all, other than the fact that Hamilton doesn't drive for Ferrari...

[V12-Power]

WTF??

Okay, I also saw that Hamilton got an advantage in that scene. He left out the chicane but then accelerated the way that Räikkönen was just able to pass him. Hamilton made it that clever, that he still had a bit more speed then Räikkönen and so it was maybe not 100% fair.

But I think that it wasn't that unfair at all, that such a hard penalty is justified. Especially when it is imposed after the race and we all know that Räikkönen was able to overtake Hamilton again later (in the rain) and dnf anyway!
The penalty for Kovalainen for example was absolutely okay, because he ruined Webber's race. But this was not the case here!

A weird racing world somehow... At the Indycars the leader get's a penalty because he blocks the second, in F1 the second get's a penalty because he shall have overtaken unfair...

Btw: Timo Glock got also a penalty (overtaking under yellow flags).

[Greyhead]

I really don't understand it. Would Raikkonen have been penalised if he'd passed Hamilton when he ran right out onto the run-off at (I think) Blanchimont and got better drive out of there? I sincerely doubt it. Hamilton was forced into cutting the chicane by Raikkonen (a bit naughty by Raikkonen I felt), and he did visibly drop back behind the Ferrari as they went over the line.

Good point about last week's IndyCars. It seems that in the USA everything is done to encourage passing and fair play, hence the rule about blocking, none of the stupid (and dangerous) "one move" rubbish there. Over here in Europe it seems everything is done to actively discourage drivers from having a go, well done FIA for yet another farcical decision =D>

Another small point... Massa being released into the path of another car in the Valencia pitlane, something which could have had dire consequences for both drivers and the pit crews, only warrants a fine, but an overtaking move that endangers, er, nobody warrants a 25-second penalty...

[HF]

I just read that Hamilton has been penalized for his maneuver against Raikkonnen...Truly a very hard decission....but ok, if he didn`t cut the chicane he would have been in another position at that moment. Even when he let Raikkonen repass, he was slightly in advantage.

Look at my signature! FIA... you know Hamilton was more than one car length behinde Räikkönen but just because Räikkönen don't have balls he wasn't as fast as Hamilton and so Hamilton had the chance to get him. Fu** FIA!!! If Hamilton drives a ferrari, nothing had happen!!!

This decicon destroys the complete race!

[Greyhead]

A shred of hope for all right-thinking people (i.e. anyone not connected with Ferrari or the FIA): McLaren are appealing the decision.

[AD]

Difficult situation, but I don't think a penalty was justified or necessary here. It's true that Hamilton came out of the bus-stop in front of Räikkönen, but he did fix that by letting Räikkönen pass him again. I'm not aware there are any details in the regulations such as how far you should fall behind your opponent in a situation like this - let alone that you mustn't "yet" overtake him again after you've let him re-pass you.

I think this could have been treated the same way as Kubica's and Massa's fight during the final lap at Fuji, last year. They also duelled each other, using the paved runoffs in the process, no one protested, no penalty was imposed. I don't see a need for it here, either, also since, as it happened, Räikkönen threw away his lead and his race after retaking it yet again anyway.

On the other hand, if you wanted to get pedantic about these kinds of overtaking situations, I think you should be pedantic about, for example, unsafe releases from the pits as well (compare Bruno Senna's penalty from Saturday, for example with Massa/Ferrari at Valencia).